The last time I went to see a film almost solely for the presence of Colin Farrell was The Recruit. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. However Clark Johnson's S.W.A.T., while pure formula, is very watchable and effortlessly entertaining. (Very) loosely based on the 70s TV show, S.W.A.T. tracks the formation of a new crack LAPD SWAT team. It moves as if it's on rails, following every stock cliche in the action thriller genre. The characters are all pretty two-dimensional: the grizzled, anti-authority maverick leader Hondo (Samuel L. Jackson), the rough ladies' man on his second chance Jim Street (Farrell), as well as Michelle Rodriguez and LL Cool J as the spicy ass-kicking woman on the team and the brawny but warm-hearted family man respectively. Although it's all very predictable, that doesn't detract from the fun: all of the leads are enjoyable enough, and Jackson and Farrell have some entertaining scenes together. Olivier Martinez also slimily hams it up as the nasty yet attractive European villain. Overall, S.W.A.T.'s a fun enough way to spend two hours, and you won't come out disappointed, as long as you don't expect much.
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